Wizards vs Witches
by Jason S. Black
Summary: When Max, Harper, Justin, and Alex visit Salem, Massachusetts for Halloween, they unwittingly bring back a menace the likes of which they have never seen.
1. Chapter 1

**Wizards vs. Witches**

**A Hocus Pocus/Wizards of Waverly Place Crossover**

by: Jason S. Black

_DISCLAIMER: The author does not own any of the characters/places depicted within, blah, blah, blah, purely coincidental._

"Double, double, toil and trouble. Fire burn and cauldron bubble." The red stick of wood spat sparks as Alex Russo waved it over something boiling in a pot. "Did they really think this was supposed to work?" She chuckled to herself as she scanned a piece of paper. She glanced toward the stairs when someone came in, and her older brother's nose crinkled when he walked into the kitchen.

"What are you doing? More specifically, what are you _burning_?" Justin's brow knit as he grabbed a bottle of soda from the fridge.

"I'm trying out this recipe from a play."

"What play?"

"Oh, I dunno, something where you can't say the name; anyway, there are these three witches and they make some wicked stew. I thought I'd try it." She waved her wand over the pot a few more times.

"You're a wizard, not a witch; besides, witches don't even exist."

Alex chuckled again. "You're a wizard, but you don't believe in witches? Why is that so hard to believe in?"

"Because, Alex, _witches_…they…yeah." Justin took a sip of his soda.

Alex raised an eyebrow. "Really? Okay, Justin, whatever."

Gritting his teeth, he raised his wand. "Dress to impress, clean up that mess." The tip glowed and the mixture inside the pot vanished, along with the pot.

"Hey! I was working on that and we're out of ketchup!"

"Wha…?" He immediately rolled his eyes and went back to his soda. Just then, Jerry, Theresa and Max walked into the room, laden with plastic bags.

"Happy Halloween!" Theresa set her bags on the kitchen counter.

"Please, Mom, we all know it's Halloween." Alex chuckled at her own wit.

"So what do you kids have planned for today?" Jerry set his bags alongside his wife's.

"I'm going trick or treating." Max beamed.

"Honey, don't you think you're a little old for trick or treating?" Theresa put a hand on her son's shoulder.

"Nah. I just get a lot more weird looks now." Max shrugged.

"I think we should do something cool for Halloween. Why do we have to stay here?" Alex took a seat on the couch.

"You know that you guys help us in the Sub Station every Halloween. We're throwing a costume contest and giving out candy." Jerry took a seat next to Alex.

"A costume contest?" A voice floated up the staircase from the Sub Station and Harper walked into the room, wearing a dress decorated with pineapples, coconuts, and palm trees.

"Oh, no, we're not letting you enter. You wear costumes every day." Alex chuckled at her mother's comment.

"Fine. I guess I'll just have to settle for trick or treating." Harper stood by the couch with her arms crossed.

"Harper, if you trick or treat on Waverly Place, nobody's going to give you candy. They'll just think you're dressed up like always." Alex roared with laughter, as did everyone else.

"You know, I do regret that every Halloween," Harper mused.

"I've got it!" Alex raised her finger to the ceiling. "Let's flash somewhere interesting for Halloween."

"Honey, your mom and I can't go. We have to watch the restaurant; you know that." Jerry let out a sigh.

"Well then…how about letting us kids go?" Alex raised an eyebrow.

"Wait, wait, wait. How do you know that I don't have plans on Halloween?" Justin crossed his arms.

"Do you?" Alex looked at him, eyebrow still raised.

He cast his eyes downward. "No."

"Okay then. Mom? Dad? Please? It would be so cool to go somewhere…well, _cool_ for Halloween. _And_, and, Max, Justin, and I are all capable of flashing right back here if there's a problem. Please?"

Jerry and Theresa looked at each other and let out a collective sigh. "We need to know where you're going before we can say yes."

Max raised his hand. "I say Transylvania."

Alex raised her eyebrow again. "Why?"

"I dunno. My teacher in history class said something about it. I just thought the name was cool."

"Ooookay…anyone else have any suggestions?" Alex looked around the room. "Okay then. We'll decide this like normal, rational people." She pulled her wand out of her boot and flicked it around. "One, two…give me a globe." With a flash, a globe appeared on the living room table and Alex got out of her seat. "Wherever my finger stops, that's where we're going. Unless it's somewhere lame. Then I'll spin again. Okay? And I only say this because _nobody_ else had any suggestions whatsoever." She looked at her brothers and Harper before turning back to the globe. "Here goes…" With a flick of her wrist, the globe started spinning.

-X-

The wind blew leaves down a deserted road and up a deserted path to a decrepit old house, through its boards and inside, stirring dust and cobwebs. Among the curiosities that decorated the room, one in particular stood out: a glass case containing an odd-looking book. On its seal, an eye slowly opened and glowed briefly before closing again.

-X-

With a flourish, Alex stopped the globe with her finger and opened her eyes, squinting at where her finger landed.

"Looks like it stopped on…Salem, Massachusetts? Now why would we go there?" Alex's brow knit.

"Let's take a look." Justin pulled out his wand, waved it, and made his laptop appear on the kitchen counter, where he typed before pulling up a webpage. "Apparently in the 1600s, there was something called the 'Salem Witch Trials' where they burned people accused of practicing witchcraft. Wait, they used to _burn_ people for doing magic?" Justin's expression was akin to someone who just saw the killing floor at a slaughterhouse.

"Oh, yeah, but people don't do that anymore." Harper smiled at Justin.

"Well, it says here on the Salem Historical Association's website that there were three witches in particular, the Sanderson Sisters, that got hanged because they kidnapped children and killed them." The aghast look returned to Justin's face.

"Does it say anything about any _other_ witches that kidnapped children and killed them?" Alex sat down and started to file her nails.

"No, but—" He continued to read. "It says here that Halloween is a pretty big deal. They have a big party at the town hall and…'trick or treating galore.'"

"I'm in." Max raised his hand.

"I'm in too. People in a different state wouldn't deny me candy or entry into a costume competition." Harper smiled sweetly at Jerry and Theresa, who looked elsewhere.

"Justin?" Alex looked over at her brother.

Justin rolled his eyes. "I guess _someone_ has to be the responsible one and be there when Alex makes a mess with her magic like always. I'm in."

After glaring at Justin, Alex jumped out of her seat and bounced up and down. "Yay! We're going to Salem for Halloween!"

"Yay!" Harper jumped up and down and clapped. "I've got to go get my costume!"

"Harper? We can just zap it onto you." Now it was Alex's turn to roll her eyes.

"Zap away!" Harper walked over to her best friend and didn't flinch when Alex pulled out her wand.

"Without a costume she should not be seen, so get Harper ready for Halloween." Magic flew from her wand and engulfed Harper. When it faded, the redhead was wearing an elegant blue gown complete with an up-do and tiara. Everyone else's mouths dropped to the floor.

"Harper, wow! What are you supposed to be?" Theresa walked over to Harper and examined her dress.

Harper's face shone with a smile. "I'm a prom queen. I figured, hey, why not go as something I've never been?"

"Hey, I think we _all_ need to get ready." Justin finally joined everyone in the living room with his wand. "Without a costume we should not be seen, so get us ready for Halloween." In a matter of seconds, all of the Russo kids were in full costume: Justin was Captain Jim Bob Sherwood, Alex was a flapper girl from the 1920's, and Max was wearing a black plastic trash bag.

"Max? What are you supposed to be?" Justin gave his brother a look.

"I'm a bag of garbage. Duh." Max smoothed out his costume.

"Okay. Are you guys ready to go?" Everyone nodded at Justin's question. "Okay then. Get us there and get us there fast, take we four to Salem, Mass." Harper, Justin, Max, and Alex all flashed out of the apartment and were on their way to Salem.


	2. Chapter 2

When the group reappeared, Justin stepped in front of them before they left the alley they'd materialized in.

"Okay, just make sure that we don't expose magic." Justin crossed his arms and looked out toward the street.

"Justin, it's Halloween. This is the only day that we can get away with using magic in public because people think it's some sort of Halloween stunt." Alex smirked at her brother.

"I'll make sure she doesn't use magic." Harper chuckled.

"Well, I'm going trick or treating. I can even use my costume as a candy bag!" Max ran past the group and into the street.

Justin sighed. "I'll watch him. Call me on my wand if you need anything." With that, he followed his brother, leaving the two girls in the alley.

"Okay, now that the dweebs are gone, let's go find something cool to do." Alex grabbed her best friend's hand and ran into the town square, and Harper stopped when she saw a flyer on a lamppost.

"Hey, look at this!" The redhead took it off of the post. "It says here that we can tour the house where some people called the Sanderson Sisters lived."

Alex took a look at the piece of paper. "Oh, yeah! Justin said those were the witches that used to kidnap kids! Let's go!" They resumed running and, after stopping for directions, arrived at the Sanderson house. When they got there, they joined a small group of people standing behind a velvet rope at the house's front door, where a blond woman stood smiling at all of them.

"Welcome to the Sanderson house. I'm Allison, and I'll be your tour guide today. Please, feel free to look at everything on display, but don't touch anything. These are all historical artifacts and we'd like to keep them intact, okay? Follow me." She unhooked the velvet rope and led everyone inside, where a collective "oooh" rose when everyone saw the inside of the house. "Okay! Take your time and if you have any questions, let me know!"

As soon as Allison finished talking, Alex and Harper started walking around, and the wizard stopped dead in her tracks in front of a display case. "Oh my GOD, Harper!" She looked around wildly and beckoned their tour guide over. "Excuse me, what's this?" She gestured to the bound tome in the case.

"Oh! This is the spell book of Winifred Sanderson. Legends say that she sold her soul to the Devil to get it, and it contains the recipe for the potion the Sanderson Sisters used to steal the life force of children."

"How did they do that?"

"The youngest sister, Sarah, would lure children to the house with a song, and then the sisters would force them to drink the potion. Once that happened, the witches would suck the life force out of them." When Allison finished her explanation, Harper grimaced. "But if you're interested in magic, take a look at this." The tour guide led them over to a shelf with a melted candle on top of it. "This is the Black Flame Candle. Back in the 1600's, the Sanderson Sisters cursed the town, saying that, during a full moon on Halloween, a virgin would light the candle and bring them back."

"It looks like someone already did." Harper raised an eyebrow.

Allison cast her gaze elsewhere. "Yeah."

Alex's face lit up. "Really? Did they come back?"

Allison bit her lip. "No; no they didn't. Everyone in Salem knows that it's just a legend. Magic isn't real."

The wizard raised an eyebrow. "So you believe that witches can use a _magic_ book to use a _magic_ spell to steal the life force of children, but you don't believe that they could come back with a _magic_ candle?"

Allison shrugged. "It's just a legend." The blond walked away, and Alex narrowed her eyes.

-X-

The sun had set completely and a full harvest moon hung in the sky as Alex and Harper got to the town square, and Alex pulled her wand out of her garter; bending it in half, she made beeping sounds as she pressed "buttons."

"Hey, Justin, meet us in the town square. I found something _really_ cool to do this Halloween."

A flash of light from the alley hailed her brothers' arrival, and they waved her over to where they were.

"So what did you find to do?"

An all too familiar Alex grin lit up her face. "We're going to go check out some really cool witch artifacts."

Justin's eyes went wide. "Witch artifacts? Like what?"

Alex's eyes twinkled. "Let's go and I'll show you." Before Justin could say anything else, she waved her wand and flashed them out of the alley. When they reappeared, Justin and Max's eyes shot open when they saw the inside of the Sanderson sisters' house.

"Alex, where are we?" Justin looked around the darkened room.

"We are at the house of the Sanderson Sisters." Alex beamed and crossed her arms.

"It's a little dark in here." There was a loud thunk as Max ran into a bookshelf.

"Well, find the light switch." Harper let out a sigh in the dark.

"Or we could think like wizards." Alex raised her wand and, with a swish, the tip illuminated. Justin and Max followed suit as they looked around for the aforementioned light switch.

"Hey, I found it!" Max called from across the room.

"And I found a candle!" Justin pointed to it and put his wand tip to the wick.

As soon as the lights came on, Alex whirled around just in time to see Justin's wand flare, and both she and Harper's mouths went agape.

"JUSTIN! NO!" Their cries were in unison as the candle lit, sputtering as the black flame flared to life.

"What have you done?" Alex stood there, frozen, as a wind blew through the room. Everyone stood where they were, waiting for something to happen, and they all turned toward the door as shadows darkened the outside of the threshold.

"We're home!" The announcement came before the door flew open, revealing three women with wicked looking smiles on their faces.


	3. Chapter 3

Alex, Max, Harper, and Justin stood frozen in their spots as the three women walked into the house, giving the young wizards a good look at them. One had white-blond hair and a pretty face, one was heavier and had a mess of black hair, and the other had a shock of red hair; all were dressed in clothes that looked like they belonged with the rest of the museum artifacts. The redhead walked forward with a glint in her eyes.

"Ahhh, sisters, we are home! I did not think it possible!" Her eyes went wide when she saw Justin standing by the lit Black Flame Candle. "So, you're the virgin who lit our candle! How didst thy manage this? The Black Flame Candle brought us back but once."

"Oh, Winnie, who cares? We're alive!" The blond threw out her arms and spun around until Winnie smacked her on the head.

"Silence, fool! We have guests!" A sickly sweet smile lit up Winnie's face as she turned back to the four.

Justin crossed the room and stepped in front of the other three. "We know who you are. We know that you steal the lives of children."

Winnie stepped forward. "Is that so, virgin? Are you also aware of the other powers which we possess?" She extended a hand and sent lightning flying at him, but her jaw dropped to the floor when Justin whipped out his wand and captured the electricity on the end of it, throwing it back at the sisters. Winnie threw her hand up and deflected it to the side. "Well, well, well, it looks like the virgin is also a witch!"

Justin brandished his wand. "I'm not a witch; I'm a _wizard_. We _all_ are."

Harper raised an eyebrow. "I'm not-"

Alex smacked her friend's arm. "Shhhhh. As far as she knows, we are."

"Wizards, eh? Your magic is no match for ours." As Winnie said this, Max and Alex pulled out their wands.

The black haired witch tapped her sister on the shoulder. "Winnie, what about Max?"

Winnie smiled again. "Yes, Mary, we must pay a visit to young Max. Farewell, wizards! We shall meet again!" She fired a bolt of electricity at the ceiling above them and, when the smoke cleared, the sisters were gone.

"Well, Justin, now what?" Alex crossed her arms.

-X-

The air was quiet as three black shapes glided through the air to a house along the bay. The windows rattled slightly and there was a set of three thuds that sounded lightly on the roof; inside, the house was still and a creak sounded as one of the window latches raised itself. The window opened to let the soft breeze blow into the bedroom where a man and woman lie asleep in bed, and the three black things lit on the floor.

Winnie stepped forward, voice quiet. "Sing, Sarah, sing."

The prettier of the three sister stepped near the bed. "Come little children, I'll take thee away..."

The man's eyes opened and stayed that way when he saw who was standing over them.

"Hello, Max." Winnie grinned wickedly.

Max sat straight up in bed. "How...how are you here? The candle's magic is gone!"

"Ahhh, but apparently, magic has brought us back...and it's time for our revenge. I think I know of one most fitting for thee. Sisters!"

The witches chanted a spell and, with a flash of light, Max's body twisted and contorted until a black cat was left in his place.

"There, much better. Much like Thackery Binx! Now you have no power to stop us!" Winnie chuckled, causing the woman to sit up in bed as well.

"Oh my god, Winifred Sanderson!"

"Allison, my dear! How wonderful to see thee!" Winnie pulled her hands back and arched her fingers.

"Get back!"

The sisters laughed. "How rich! Now then, your punishment!" Winnifred wheeled around when the door flew open, revealing a teenaged girl.

"Allison! Run!" She poured something from a black bag and threw it at the Sandersons; they recoiled at the white powder. The blond got out of the bed and ran to the girl's side.

"Dani! Come on!" Both of them ran out of the room and down the stairs.


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's note: I had no idea people were still reading this story! My other projects are on pause for the time being, so I think I'll be able to finish this one before Halloween._

"Well?"

Every muscle in Justin's body tensed when his sister spoke again. "I'm trying to figure it out! What did I tell Mom and Dad before we left? That I was coming along to clean up your magic. What am I doing? Trying to help _you_ clean up _my_ magic!"

Alex rolled her eyes. "There will be time to beat yourself up about this when we get home; right now, we have three children-stealing witches to deal with."

Her brother let out a _humph_. "They said that this isn't the first time they've come back. You know what would really help? Someone who's dealt with the Sanderson Sisters before."

They all jumped when the door to the house opened again, this time, by the tour guide Alex and Harper had met, along with a teenager holding a black cat. The older woman stepped across the threshold and took everything in, especially the burning candle. "Which one of you lit it?" Eyes wide, everyone pointed at Justin (who was, incidentally, pointing to himself).

They jumped again when the cat jumped to the floor and then up on a table. "Welcome to the club. I'm Max; this is Allison, and Dani. I was the one who lit the candle last time."

Harper frowned. "Okay, I've been a lot of weird places and seen a lot of weird things, but did that cat just talk?"

The former human licked his lips. "Yes. I used to be human, but the Sanderson Sisters turned me into a cat. This isn't the first time this has happened."

Alex put up a finger. "Okay, so if this has all happened before, shouldn't it be really easy to stop them this time?"

Allison's lips pursed. "Not necessarily. They know that we know they're back, and they also know that we stopped them last time. If their plan hasn't changed, the way they'll go about it will."

The female wizard crossed her arms. "And what is that plan?"

Max's tail swished. "To steal enough life from children to come back for good. The good thing is that if they don't do that by the time the candle's spent, they disappear."

Harper frowned. "Wait, didn't you think about putting the candle away after this happened the last time?"

Dani let out a sigh. "We were under the impression that a melted candle meant no more witches. Speaking of which, how did the candle get lit again in the first place?"

Alex slowly rotated her head to look at her brother. "Yeah, Justin, how _did_ that happen? Maybe because you lit it with your wand?"

Justin's eyes went wide. "Alex! They don't know we're wizards!"

She rolled her eyes again. "Come on. They've defeated witches who, incidentally, use magic." Shooting him a look when he opened his mouth to speak, she turned back to the new/old-comers. "We're wizards, except for Harper. We can use magic."

Dani smiled. "This is good."

"Hey, they didn't take their book." Everyone turned to look at the youngest Russo. "I haven't said anything in a while."

Alex took a deep breath. "Okay, so what are we going to do? What did the three of you do last time?"

Allison looked upward. "We tried taking their book, but all we could really do is stall them until sunrise which," she looked at her watch, "isn't for another seven hours."

Justin crossed his arms. "Wait, isn't there a big Halloween party going on tonight?"

Dani nodded. "We can't let them curse the town again. Do the three of you think you can hold them off?"

Alex raised an eyebrow. "A chance to do magic in public in front of people, you say?" She slipped the wand from her garter and raised it, making the tip spark. "Don't mind if we do! Take us to town hall."

_Author's parting note: I don't normally do such short chapters, but I've found that after a long hiatus, it helps to keep the story cohesive (and makes it much easier to write). Enjoy!_


	5. Chapter 5

Everyone split into pairs when they got to Town Hall, and it was abuzz with people in any number of costumes; from nurses to zombies, from wizards to witches. Alex eyed the people who wore outfits "wizards" were supposed to wear, and a bitter taste flooded her mouth.

"Maybe these people _deserve_ to get cursed if they think _that_ is what a wizard wears." She rolled her eyes and moved through the crowd, making her way to the stage, where a band dressed in fluorescent skeleton suits played on an almost pitch black stage.

"I don't see them!" Dani stopped right next to Alex.

"Maybe we can ask someone." The wizard turned to tap someone next to her on the shoulder, and the dancing Vampire Queen turned around, making the mortal girl's face light up.

"Mrs. Johanssen! Who's watching Kevin?"

"Who?" The older woman cupped a hand to her ear.

"Kevin! Your grandson!"

"Grandson? I don't have a grandson!" Mrs. Johannsen turned back around.

Dani frowned as she and Alex walked away. "Yes she does..."

Alex grabbed her older brother's arm. "Do you see anything?"

Justin shifted the weight of the cat on his shoulder. "Not yet, but everyone else is patrolling. I'll call you on your wand if I do." As she nodded and walked away, he began to survey the crowd again. "So, Max, what happened the last time the Sanderson Sisters came back?"

"They cursed the adults in town to dance forever, lured all of the children in Salem to their house, and tried to kill the three of us. Like I said before, we held them off until sunrise." The cat licked his lips.

"Do you think they're here?"

"I don't know. They're probably smarter this time around, plus, they know you and your siblings are wizards. If anything, they'll just find a way to keep us occupied until they can make the potion that lets them take the lives of children."

"How would they do that?"

Harper wondered the same as she made her way through the crowd, holding the youngest Russo's hand. "Do you see Alex?" Max pointed across the room. "I need to talk to Dani. Go with your sister." When he complied, the younger of the two blondes came over.

"What's up?"

"So, I was just thinking. Have you seen anything weird since we got here?"

"Not really. Maybe I can ask someone if they have." Dani turned and tapped a dancing Elvis on the shoulder. "Mr. Peterson! Have you seen anything weird tonight?"

The King shrugged. "Nothing out of the ordinary for Halloween!"

"Okay, thanks! By the way, did Janice place at her gymnastics tournament?"

"Who?"

Dani blanched. "Your daughter!"

"I don't have a daughter!" Mr. Peterson went back to dancing with his wife, leaving her speechless.

"How could he forget his own daughter? That's definitely weird." She jumped when her brother jumped on her shoulder.

"Any word, Dani?"

"Now that you mention it, Mrs. Johanssen and Mr. Peterson both acted weird when I asked them about Kevin and Janice." Both of them froze and (were it possible for Max), the color drained out of their faces.

The cat's tail twitched. "We need to get everyone together. NOW!"

Harper nodded and ran off to collect the Russos and Allison; when they came back, Max pulled them in close.

"I can't believe it took us this long to figure it out. Last time, the witches cursed the adults in town to dance while they took the children. This time, they cast a spell and made everyone forget."

Alex pulled out her wand, as did her siblings. "We need to break the spell, then."

Allison shook her head. "No time. If they cast this spell, it means they're trying to collect the children in town. We need to stop them."

Harper looked at her phone. "We still have six hours until sunrise and we need a plan. Where would they be going?"

The cat tensed. "To their house to make the potion."

Alex's hand gripped her wand. "Let's go."

They left the adults behind and stopped outside Town Hall, looking around; a gust of wind kicked up and nearly bowled the group over. Three sets of cackles filled the air and the Sanderson Sisters touched down in the square.

"Leaving so soon? Why not stay and enjoy the party?" Winifred eyed the cat.

Max hissed. "We know what you did to the adults."

She put a hand to her chest. "My, my, aren't you all a clever bunch? Well, I have a present before you. Do you remember Billy?"

Dani, Allison, and Max froze.

"Well, I've brought a few of his friends to play and, unlike that rat, will deal with thee. Enjoy!" The witches rose into the air.

Alex crossed her arms. "What did she mean?"

Max's tail twictched. "Last time, she brought back the lover she murdered from the dead."

"So his friends would be..."

"That's right."

Groans filled the air and everyone's eyes went wide as animated corpses lumbered toward them, shedding dirt as they went. The wizards readied their wands, the three tips spitting sparks.


	6. Chapter 6

The first of many walking undead fell, victim of Russo magic. The three siblings launched spells with equal intensity, allowing the rest safe passage down Salem's main street.

"What are we going to do now?!" Harper's heels clicked on the pavement.

The black cat ran alongside them. "We need to get their magic book! If they don't have the potion recipe, they can't steal anyone's life."

"But what about them?" The older blonde cast a glance over her shoulder.

Harper picked up the pace. "They'll be fine. They've gotten out of a lot worse than this, believe me."

As the non-wizards of the group put as much distance between themselves and the zombies as they could, Alex began to take a few steps back.

"Justin, nothing's working! They keep getting up!"

A flare of magic from her older brother's wand felled a group of the monsters. "I think we'll only be able to hold them off."

"But where can we go?"

"I don't know!" Justin grunted as he cast another spell.

"Look! There's a school!" Alex pointed, and it only took him a second to nod. Simultaneously, the trio stopped using their wands and high-tailed it for the darkened building on the next block. The front doors didn't budge when Justin tried them, and he pointed his wand at the handles.

"Two, three, four, unlock this door!" They gained entry and he locked them again, shutting them in with an eerie silence.

No longer pursued by the undead, the non-wizards made record time to the Sanderson house, allowing them to breathe.

Max perched on a window ledge and surveyed the inside. "They're not here, but their book is. Let's go."

The door was, thankfully, unlocked, and everyone kept a wary eye on their surroundings. Harper went over to the now open display case and reached in to grab the magic book.

Max licked his lips. "Wait a second, why would they leave their book here?"

In answer to his question, Harper let out a scream as her hands sunk into the book; it seemed to have turned into quicksand.

"It's a trap!"

Three familiar cackles came from outside and the door flew open.

"Didst thou think we wouldst leave our book unattended again?" Winifred's eyes burned with wicked glee as she held the flesh-bound tome.

Back at the school, the three siblings finished barricading the front door.

The light on Justin's wand tip died. "That _should_ be able to hold."

Alex looked around. "How many do you think there are?"

Justin let out a nervous chuckle. "How many people could they bury in one town?"

She rolled her eyes. "Okay, so we've lost the zombies for now. Now what?"

"I don't know. Wait, where do you think Harper and them went?" She pulled out her phone and clicked on Harper's contact.

Everyone at the Sanderson house froze when Harper's cell phone started ringing. Winifred seemed to glide across the room to open the handbag that contained it, and her eyes went wide when she found the noise-making device. It rang again and she dropped it, effectively silencing it.

"Oh, my, was this valuable?" The witch laughed as she rejoined her sisters.

Alex frowned when the call went to voicemail. "Harper didn't answer. Do you think she's in trouble? Where could she be?"

"Um, guys?" Both older wizards turned to see Max, ear pressed against the wooden barricade they'd created. "Do you hear that?"

All of them jumped when a BANG resounded through the school's entryway, and the wood barring the door gave inward for a moment. A few more BANGS and a zombie's arm came through, flailing around. The wizards screamed and ran down a hallway just as the barricade shattered, letting the undead in.

Alex pointed to a sign. "The gym!"

Justin tried to keep up with his sister. "Why?"

"I don't know!"

The three skidded around a corner and into the gym, immediately bricking over every door, window, and air duct; a second after they finished, they could hear the zombies pounding on walls they'd made. Their blood froze in their veins, however, when they saw mortar dust falling from between the bricks.

While the Russos dealt with the horde, Harper struggled to remove her hands from the witches' trap.

"Well, ladies and gentle-cat, we must away. We have important business to attend to!" With a toss of their skirts and capes, they exited the house.

Harper let out a sigh. "You guys go on ahead. I won't be getting out of here any time soon."

Allison nodded and took everyone outside. "Looks like we need to find those wizards."

Those wizards, incidentally, happened to be backing into a far corner of the gym, watching their brick walls begin to fall apart under the zombie assault.

Alex had her wand at the ready. "Okay, now would be a _really_ good time for an idea."

Justin rolled his eyes as sweat dripped down his brow. "It would, wouldn't it? Well, too bad because _I'm out of ideas_!"

They screamed and flinched when every brick wall gave way at once, but when they opened their eyes, the undead were simply standing there. The skylight above them shattered and rained glass, accompanied by the descent of the Sanderson sisters on their brooms.

"If it isn't the wizards! I see thy magic wasn't enough to stop my pets!" The three witches touched down and stood before the wizards, who all had their wands pointed at a different sister.

Justin stepped forward. "We won't let you take the lives of any children!"

Winifred laughed. "Oh, my, it seems you misunderstand my plan!" Out of nowhere, black smoke filled the room, making the wizards cough. Both Alex and Justin used their wands to clear it, but when they did, they didn't see the undead army _or_ the Sanderson Sisters.

Or Max.


	7. Chapter 7

Max's eyes fluttered open, and his heart nearly stopped when he saw that he was hanging over Salem, rushing over a quiet town. A turn of his head found Winifred's back, and he could barely hear the sisters talking.

Her head turned back to look at him. "Ah, you're awake. We're almost there."

"Wha-?" Stars exploded in his eyes as something hit him hard.

Winifred cackled. "It's always a rough landing for passengers." With strength that betrayed her appearance, she hoisted the youngest Russo into the house. "Welcome, Max, and join your friends!"

The feline Max and Harper looked down from cages that once held two bullies; Dani and Allison fought against binds that held them to chairs. A snap of the head witch's fingers bound the wizard as well, and Sarah picked up his wand.

"Look, sisters, I have a wizard stick!" She danced around until her sister hit the back of her head and snatched the "stick" away.

"You fool! This is a wand, and it's likely the source of this," Winifred gestured at the human Max, "_wizard_'_s_ power. We can use it to enhance the power of our potion!"

"Winnie? What if we fed his life force? He's a wizard." Mary finally chimed in.

"A most excellent idea, sister! Well done. We shall consume his life force and be powerful enough to survive the rising of the sun! Come, sisters. We must prepare the potion!"

While the witches readied their sinister brew, Max's older siblings ran into Salem's town square, pausing when they reached the street that would lead them to the Sanderson house.

"What are we going to do now, Justin? They have Max, and they can steal the life force of children. I mean, Max isn't exactly a kid," her brother shot her a raised eyebrow, "okay, fine. He's a kid at heart. But what if they steal his life force?"

Justin sighed. "For the first time in a long time, I don't know."

"There you go, giving yourself _far_ too much credit." Alex cackled.

"You could come up with ideas instead of insulting me."

"What do you want to do, call Mom and Dad? I can imagine how well that conversation would go." She held her wand up to her ear like a phone. "Mom, Dad? Guess what? Your oldest son raised three witches from the dead, and now they're going to kill your youngest son! Surprisingly, your daughter had nothing to do with it!"

He thrust a finger at her. "You were the one who suggested that we go there!"

She crossed her arms. "You're really reaching there."

"Fine. Let's come up with a plan to save Max so we don't have to make that phone call."

They ran down the street toward the house, and paused when they were across the street.

Alex's knuckles went white as she gripped her wand. "What do we do, Justin? They're older and a lot more powerful than us."

Justin's smile trembled as he looked at his sister. "We beat Gorog. We can do this." The tip of his wand sparked.

The witches looked up just as the wizards flung the door open with magic.

"Ah, the others. Welcome back! I hope my friends didn't harm you!" Winnie grinned.

Alex glared. "Let our brother go!"

Winifred put a hand to her heart. "Oh, my, and what are _you_ going to do about it? Your brother has already taken our potion!"

Both elder Russos' hearts stopped when they saw Max glowing faintly.

Winifred put up a hand. "If you come any closer, we'll drain his life energy."

Alex's eyes narrowed. "Fine." She turned to her brother. "Ready?"

Lightning flew from the two wands, but the sisters deflected it, and Winifred cackled. "Didst thou think you could use my own magic against me?" The same energy flew toward the wizards, and they barely avoided the blast.

Alex's eyes flicked around the room. "Ha! The candle's almost burned out. If the legend's true, you'll be gone soon."

"'Tis more time than we need!" Lightning assaulted them again, but this time, they were able to deflect and return fire. The electricity hit Sarah and Mary, knocking them against the wall and down to the floor. "Ah, thou will pay for harming my sisters!"

"Wait!"

Winifred stopped generating lightning from her fingertips when Justin spoke up.

"If you have to take anyone, take me."

Alex grabbed his arm. "Justin, no!"

He turned to her. "I'm the oldest. It's my job to take care of you guys." He turned back to the witch. "You can have me, but you have to let everyone else go."

"But if we let them go, they'd try to avenge your death, young wizard."

"What if I told you how to use my wand?"

Winifred's eyes narrowed. "Thou woudst teach me how to use thine wand? 'Tis a trick."

He held it out to her. "No, it's not. You can use my wand to live after the candle burns out."

The witch crossed the room and took it from his palm. "Very well. With your magic, my sisters and I will be unstoppable! Young and beautiful forever! Now, teach me how it works."

"First, let everyone go."

"You fool! You take me for one as well. I may not know how to use your wand, but you are without magic!"

"Fine! I'll teach you how to activate it."

Alex tightened her grip. "Justin."

He put a hand on hers. "It's okay, Alex." He cleared his throat. "To activate it, just say '_Threemetris moveitris._'"

"That's better! _Threemetris moveitris._" She vanished for a brief moment, before reappearing and colliding with a display case.

Alex took a deep breath and waved her wand, unlocking the cage doors and releasing everyone tied to a chair. "Let's go!"

Justin helped his brother up as everyone ran out of the house, into the street. They turned back when a bang sounded from inside the house, signaling the witches' appearance in the doorway.

Winifred's hands clenched into fists. "Oh, that wasn't a nice trick; but we have a nice treat for you!"

Howls sounded in the distance as everyone bunched together, looking all around.


	8. Chapter 8

Max and Alex clutched their wands, and everyone's breath caught in their chest as the howls they heard got closer; the sound emanated from a cadre of undead, filling the air with their unholy wails.

"Looks like our friends are back!" Alex's wrist flicked and a fireball hit one of the lumbering former corpses, but it did nothing to slow the monster. The group, however, remained where they stood.

"Alex, my wand's back in the house." Justin swallowed a lump in his throat.

"Let's go!" The black cat turned around and ran toward the town square, and everyone else followed suit, as did the witches and zombies.

"We can't keep running like this!" Harper hiked up the skirt of her dress and sped toward the end of the street. The armed wizards kept shooting magic over their shoulders, but the zombies absorbed the spells like a sponge.

Finally, their rushed steps carried them into town square, and everyone stopped when more undead started coming down the other streets that led into the commons. Winifred and Sarah, cloaks whipping in the wind, soared into view on brooms, and Mary followed on a vacuum cleaner. The eldest Sanderson sister held Justin's wand aloft.

"Now, wizards, we need to talk." Winifred smiled as the witches touched down on the front of an impassable wall of zombies. "We're going to be feeding on all three of thee. With your life force, we can return for good!"

Justin stepped forward, arms out in front of everyone else. "Fine. You can still have me!"

Winifred held up a hand. "Why have one, when we can have one each? There will be no bargaining this time, wizard. Sisters!" All three witches stepped forward, making cups appear out of nowhere; each gave off a sickly green glow. Before Alex and Max could react, Winifred zapped the Russos, freezing them in place.

"No!" Feline Max leapt forward, but Winifred seized him by the throat; Sarah and Mary took the opportunity to retrieve the two wands the witches were missing.

"Ah, Max, finally. I have you where I want you!" Her wicked nails dug into his skin as her grip tightened.

Allison and Dani both ran forward. "No!"

Winifred zapped them as well, dropping them to the cement. "Now, we have no interferences." She tossed the cat against a light post and stopped by Justin. "I'll enjoy taking you. Sisters, your wizards await."

Alex's heart pounded in her chest as Sarah came toward her, but the witch's magic kept her from running. "No..."

The blond witch poured the vile potion down Alex's throat, letting out a musical laugh. The wizard began to glow, and the witch started inhaling what seemed like mist. Alex felt her strength draining, and she took a deep breath in as energy surged through her arm. She knocked her wand from Sarah's grip into her own, and her chest tightened as she raised it. She let out a yell as the tip of her wand exploded, tearing through the undead like scissor through ribbon and knocking everyone else to the ground.

Alex was the first to wake; a look around told her that everyone was still relatively intact. Winifred got to her feet, brushing ash off of her clothes.

"Well, aren't you a clever wizard! You're still under the potion's effect, and you surely couldn't do that again!"

As the witch drew closer, Alex raised her wand, but it only gave a smattering of sparks. Winifred laughed as her hand shot out and grabbed the wizard by the throat, hoisting her into the air.

"You are mine!" The witch began inhaling the same mist Sarah partook of, but her eyes shot open as she caught sight of the horizon. Neither knew how long they'd been out, but the sun poked a sliver of red over the horizon. Winifred started inhaling faster, but it wasn't enough to fight off the rising sun or the last few seconds of the Black Candle's magic. Her skin started to crack and gray as it went from flesh to stone, and Alex felt the rock around her neck.

"NO!"

Everyone else opened their eyes just in time to see Winifred become a statue. Again.

Sarah and Mary scrambled to their feet, but they succumbed to the newly golden light's effects, suffering the same fate as their sister. As soon as the last bit of witch was stone, they all exploded in a shower of sparks and smoke.

Alex dropped to the ground, hand around her neck as she got to her feet. She staggered over to her brothers.

"Problem solved."

_Conclusion coming soon!_


	9. Chapter 9

Golden light turned bright yellow, and the downed wizards (and Harper) got to their feet with Alex's help.

"How did you do that?" Justin brushed ash off of his clothes, but she simply shrugged.

"Are you okay?"

The four turned to see Allison and Dani, but everyone paused as their eyes scanned the ground.

"Max?"

The oldest of the seven's heart stopped when she saw the cat's body, lying at the base of a lamppost. A tear ran down her cheek as her hand ran down his dirty coat. Dani dropped to her knees next to Allison and caressed her older brother's face.

"No, Max."

Alex felt a lump forming in her throat. "We have to do something." She, along with her brothers, stepped forward, but stopped when the cat twitched.

Allison and Dani scrambled to their feet as he began to levitate, enveloped in a different sort of glow; his body rotated and, in a burst of light, changed back into a human. He sank slowly to his feet and looked around, finally fixing his gaze on the wizards.

"Thank you."

The two women who had almost mourned him ran forward, throwing their arms around him. The look on the Russos' faces could have outshone the now-prominent sun, and they turned around when a loud creak rang out across the square.

Town Hall's doors had finally opened to reveal a swath of adults in a daze, and the sunlight seemed to break the hold the witches had over everyone.

Justin tapped the rest of his party on the shoulders. "Looks like it's time to go. If the sun's up here, it's definitely up in New York."

The former feline Max cleared his throat. "I just want to say thank you. Being a cat isn't something I want to do anytime soon, but thank you."

Alex tilted her head. "So, what are you going to do to make sure something like this doesn't happen again?"

Allison laughed. "Don't worry. That candle's getting locked up, and so is that book. I don't think Salem will have to deal with them any time soon."

Justin nodded and smiled. "Take care of yourselves. If you're ever in New York City, look us up. We're the Waverly Place Sub Shop."

With that, the visitors turned and walked into the same alley they'd arrived in, vanishing as fast as they'd appeared.

Back in New York, they reappeared to see their parents sitting on the couch in the living room.

Theresa crossed her arms. "Would you three mind telling us why the sun is up and you're just now getting home?"

Alex looked at her brothers. "You wouldn't believe us if we told you."

Meanwhile, the three left behind had set out as well.

"I didn't ever think we'd see them again." Max pushed the door to the Sanderson house open; the lights flickered on, revealing the damage the battle did. His eyes set on the Candle, and he let out a sigh when he saw a pile of wax; however, his breath caught in his throat when he laid eyes on an empty book stand.

_The eye on the cover of the vile tome blinked, unaccustomed to its new surroundings. The objects around it gave off a tangible tingle, and it could see a chalkboard and an...easy chair? No matter. It was perfectly at home among the large pile of books in the corner of the room._

_The eye closed when three voices rang out, seemingly in unison; just then, three people walked in._

"We didn't get any sleep, and they're making us straighten the Lair?"


End file.
